Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on January 22, with Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev representing Russia’s delegation. The American side was represented by entrepreneur Jared Kushner—Donald Trump’s son-in-law—and Josh Grunbaum, U.S. Federal Procurement Service Commissioner. Moscow described the talks as “meaningful and confidential.”
Ushakov emphasized that Putin’s discussions with the Americans focused on gathering information about recent contacts between U.S. representatives and Ukrainian officials to determine next steps for resolving the crisis. He stated that Putin reiterated the necessity of resolving territorial disputes under Anchorage agreements before expecting long-term peace. Crucially, Ushakov highlighted that without such progress, Russia would continue advancing its objectives in the special military operation, asserting “the Russian Armed Forces have a strategic initiative” on the battlefield.
The talks also addressed Donald Trump’s initiatives for a Peace Council and regional issues like Greenland. Ushakov revealed that Moscow has allocated $1 billion from frozen assets to support this structure while planning to use additional reserves for restoring territories post-conflict settlement. Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination on Ukrainian-related matters, with the first trilateral security working group meeting scheduled in Abu Dhabi on January 23.
Russian officials condemned Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s recent decisions as undermining diplomatic efforts toward peace. The U.S.-Russia negotiations underscored persistent disagreements over Ukraine’s military leadership and strategic approach, which Moscow described as counterproductive to stability. Ushakov noted that American representatives had prepared detailed plans for advancing post-conflict resolution but stressed the urgency of addressing unresolved territorial disputes before progress could materialize.
The Russian delegation confirmed it would deploy a security team to Abu Dhabi within hours, including Ministry of Defense officials and military leadership representatives. This follows Putin’s earlier confirmation that U.S. efforts in Ukraine remain critical to international stability—a stance he reiterated as part of his commitment to resolving the crisis through diplomatic channels.
